The Greener Grass Conspiracy
Stephen Altrogge
Buy the book at amazon.com
In The Greener Grass Conspiracy, Stephen Altrogge explains the importance of contentment in the Christian life and how we can develop it.
This is quite a funny book. The author has a great knack for one liners and funny stories. While it is a funny and enjoyable read, it also packs quite a convicting punch. His descriptions of how we think and talk when we are discontented were uncomfortably close to how I think and talk sometimes. Also incredibly convicting was what he wrote about how our discontentment and complaining can be like telling God he doesn’t know what he is doing and isn’t doing his job properly. Ouch!
Thankfully the book isn’t a big guilt trip about our lack of contentment. Instead, the book shows us how we have built up idols in our life that are fuelling our discontentment and shows us how the gospel addresses the problem. The book constantly and very helpfully keeps coming back to what Jesus has done for us. Likewise, there is a strong emphasis on the character of God, particularly his goodness towards us. That is something we often overlook because God’s goodness often doesn’t come in the forms we would expect or like.
Given the way our advertising filled culture teaches us to be discontent and our hearts all too easily latch onto things we think will make us happy and fulfilled, I think this is a book that all Christians would benefit from.
Review copy courtesy of Crossway and Netgalley
